Background to this inspection
Updated
11 August 2021
Richmond is a slimming clinic that is part of the Weightmedics chain of clinics, and is located in Richmond, South West London. There are a total of four registered locations.
Three locations (including this one) have been previously inspected and rated. One location is newly registered and is yet to be inspected and rated. The previous inspection report for this location was viewed in preparation for this inspection.
The clinic consists of a first floor reception area and consulting room and a staff office on the second floor. It is very close to Richmond rail and underground station, and local bus stops. Parking in the local area is limited. Richmond is open for face to face consultations on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. People can also access video consultations with a doctor or a patient care manager seven days a week.
The clinic building is staffed by a receptionist, and a doctor. A patient care manager and a nutritionist can work remotely or from a clinic office to see patients via video link. Staff based at other locations can also cover shifts at this clinic. If for any reason a shift is not filled by one of the regular doctors, there are a number of locum doctors familiar with the clinic that can be contacted. In addition, staff work closely with other staff based at the other locations.
How we inspected this service
We gathered a number of documents from the registered manager prior to our site visit and reviewed them for this inspection. During this inspection, we interviewed staff, made observations and reviewed additional documents.
To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:
- Is it safe?
- Is it effective?
- Is it caring?
- Is it responsive to people’s needs?
- Is it well-led?
These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.
Updated
11 August 2021
This service is rated as
Good
overall. (Previous inspection 12 2019 – rated Good overall).
The key questions are rated as:
Are services safe? – Good
Are services effective? – Good
Are services caring? – Good
Are services responsive? – Good
Are services well-led? – Good
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Richmond under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act (HSCA) 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This was part of our inspection programme to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to rate the service.
CQC inspected the service on 3 December 2019 and served a requirement notice for a breach of Regulation 12 (2) (g) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We asked the provider to make improvements regarding the medicines fridge and the detail included in patient records. We checked these areas as part of this comprehensive inspection and found that these issues had been resolved.
Richmond provides weight loss services, including prescribing medicines and dietary advice to support weight reduction. The Nurse Director is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Our key findings were:
- The provider had implemented additional infection control measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
- The provider had developed a mobile phone application for patients to aid access to information on weight management.
- The provider had effective processes to develop leadership capacity and skills, including planning for the future leadership of the service.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- Only supply unlicensed medicines against valid special clinical needs of an individual patient where there is no suitable licensed medicine available.
- Make a clear record of the dose and frequency information for medicines prescribed.
- Make a clear record of the rationale when a different approach to national guidance is taken in order to protect patient safety.
- Blood pressure readings should be taken and recorded in line with the clinic protocol.
- Review the system for sharing treatment plans with patient’s own GPs to ensure they are sent consistently.
- Review and improve how consent is obtained to ensure that patients are aware of all treatment risks.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care